Endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery composed of micro-perc and retrograde intrarenal surgery in the treatment of complex kidney stones in children.

OBJECTIVE: This research aims to explore the efficiency and safety of endoscopic combined intrarenal surgery (Micro-ECIRS) composed of micro-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (Micro-perc) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) position for a single session for the treatment of complex nephrolithiasis in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively reviewed patients aged < 18 years who underwent Micro-ECIRS in the GMSV position for renal stones larger than 2 cm under ultrasound guidance between August 2020 to May 2022 at our institution. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients (8 males and 5 females) received Micro-ECIRS for renal stones under ultrasound guidancewhile adopting the GMSV position. The average stone size was 2.7 cm (range: 2.1-3.7 cm). Among them, 6 patients had left kidney stones, 5 patients had right kidney stones, and 2 patients had bilateral kidney stones. The mean operative time was 70.5 min (range: 54-93 min). The mean hospital stay was 6.4 days (range: 4-9 days). The mean hemoglobin decrease was 8.2 g/L (range: 5.1-12.4 g/L). The total number of kidneys that had complete stone clearance was 8 kidneys at 48 h postoperatively, 11 kidneys at 2 weeks postoperatively, and 14 kidneys at 1 month postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that Micro-ECIRS while patients are in the GMSV position is a safe and effective method for the treatment of complex children nephrolithiasis. However, all children made three hospital visits and received anesthesia three times. Further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Plasma metabolites and inflammatory proteins profiling predict outcome of Fufang Duzhong Jiangu granules treating Kashin-Beck disease.

To investigate predictive biomarkers that could be used to identify patients' response to treatment, plasma metabolomics and proteomics analyses were performed in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) patients treated with Fufang Duzhong Jiangu Granules (FDJG). Plasma was collected from 12 KBD patients before treatment and 1 month after FDJG treatment. LC-MS and olink proteomics were employed for obtaining plasma metabolomics profiling and inflammatory protein profiles. Patients were classified into responders and non-responders based on drug efficacy. Enrichment analyses of differential metabolites and proteins of the responders at baseline and after treatment were conducted to study the mechanism of drug action. Differential metabolites and proteins between the two groups were screened as biomarkers to predict the drug efficacy. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of biomarkers. The changes in metabolites and inflammatory proteins in responders after treatment reflected the mechanism of FDJG treatment for KBD, which may act on glycerophospholipid metabolism, d-glutamine and d-glutamate metabolism, nitrogen metabolism and NF-kappa B signaling pathway. Three metabolites were identified as potential predictors: N-undecanoylglycine, ß-aminopropionitrile and PC [18:3(6Z,9Z,12Z)/20:4(8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z)]. For inflammatory protein, interleukin-8 was identified as a predictive biomarker to detect responders. Combined use of these four biomarkers had high predictive ability (area under the curve = 0.972).

Investigation on the interaction of NH3&CH4 co-activated char under reburning conditions.

In the current global context, there is a pressing need to curtail greenhouse gas emissions, making the utilization of a coal and zero-carbon energy blend an imperative strategy for reducing carbon emissions from coal-fired power generation. The planar flame burner serves as a tool to simulate the temperature and atmospheric conditions within the reburning zone, facilitating extensive examination of the physical and chemical structural alterations, as well as the nitrogen oxide reduction potential, during NH3/CH4 activation for reburning pulverized coal. Experimental results underscore that blending high-activity fuels optimizes the combustion performance of coal char. Through the addition of NH3 and CH4, the NO reduction capability of coal char is bolstered by approximately 0.67 times compared to sole reliance on recirculating flue gas transport. Furthermore, NH3 introduction facilitates the conversion of C]O double bonds into C-O single bonds, rendering them more amenable to reduction by NO. While the joint influence of NH3 and CH4 does not significantly impact char particle size, it does foster the evolution of N-Q to N-5 and N-6 on the char surface. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the BET-specific surface area, which rose by 50%. Additionally, the total pore volume increased by approximately 21.43%. The comprehensive understanding of NH3 and CH4 modified pulverized coal reburning technology holds significant promise for optimizing power plant operations and mitigating carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions.

Single-center experience of micro-perc in the treatment of children with 1.0-2.0 cm sized kidney stones in the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia position.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the applicability and safety of micro-percutaneous nephrolithotomy (micro-perc) in the treatment of children with kidney stones in the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia (GMSV) position under the guidance of whole-course ultrasound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were aged < 18 years in the GMSV position who underwent micro-perc for kidney stones under ultrasound guidance between August 2020 and May 2022 at our institution were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients, 15 males and 8 females, received micro-perc. The average stone size was 1.6 cm (range 1.1-2.0 cm). Among them, 12 patients had left kidney stones, 10 patients had right kidney stones, and 1 patient had bilateral kidney stones. The mean operative time was 55.3 min (range 35-86 min). The mean hospital stay was 2.9 days (range 2-4 days). The mean hemoglobin decrease was 1.7 g/L (range 0.9-3.2 g/L). A total of 17 patients had complete stone clearance at 48 h postoperatively. A total of 22 patients had complete stone clearance at 2 weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that micro-perc under ultrasound guidance is a safe and effective method for the treatment of children with kidney stones in the GMSV position. Further research is warranted to confirm these results.

Exploration of machine learning methods to predict systemic lupus erythematosus hospitalizations.

OBJECTIVES: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous disease characterized by disease flares which can require hospitalization. Our objective was to apply machine learning methods to predict hospitalizations for SLE from electronic health record (EHR) data. METHODS: We identified patients with SLE in a longitudinal EHR-based cohort with ≥2 outpatient rheumatology visits between 2012 and 2019. We applied multiple machine learning methods to predict hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis code for SLE, including decision tree, random forest, naive Bayes, logistic regression, and an ensemble method. Candidate predictors were derived from structured EHR features, including demographics, laboratory tests, medications, ICD-9/10 codes for SLE manifestations, and healthcare utilization. We used two approaches to assess these variables over longitudinal follow-up, including the incorporation of lagged features to capture changes over time of clinical data. The performance of each model was evaluated by overall accuracy, the F statistic, and the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC). RESULTS: We identified 1996 patients with SLE. 4.6% were hospitalized for SLE in their most recent year of follow-up. Random forest models had highest performance in predicting SLE hospitalizations, with AUC 0.751 and AUC 0.772 for two approaches (averaging and progressive), respectively. The leading predictors of SLE hospitalizations included dsDNA positivity, C3 level, blood cell counts, and inflammatory markers as well as age and albumin. CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that machine learning methods can predict SLE hospitalizations. We identified key predictors of these events including known markers of SLE disease activity; further validation in external cohorts is warranted.

Novel androgen receptor gene variant containing a frameshift mutation in a patient with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome.

A variety of mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene are linked to androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS). AIS is the most common specific cause of 46, XY disorder in sex development. Here, we reported a patient which presented as a female with 46, XY karyotype and normal female external genitalia. The patient was diagnosed with complete AIS caused by a novel mutation (NM_000044, c.2678-2726del, p. Pro893Leufs*35) in the AR gene. Targeted exome sequencing was used to detect the patient's androgen receptor gene mutations. Sanger sequencing was used to validate the mutation. This study showed that a novel mutation of the AR gene can cause complete AIS; the study also broadened the AR mutation spectrum and indicated that targeted exome sequencing could help facilitate the diagnosis of complicated disorders in sexual development.

[Textual research on varieties of Draconis Sanguis].

This paper reviewed the historical evolution of the varieties of Draconis Sanguis in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and discussed several doubts. Draconis Sanguis used in ancient Europe and Arabia was derived from Dracaena plants, and that originating from Southeast Asia entered the market in the 16 th century. Draconis Sanguis was introduced into China in the 5 th century at the latest and was once mixed with shellac for use. Draconis Sanguis in the Tang Dynasty and before was the resin of Dracaena plants. Scholars in the Song Dynasty have known that Draconis Sanguis came from the resin of tall trees, but their understanding of origin plants was inconsistent with the facts. The origin of Draconis Sanguis in the Song Dynasty was basically determined to be Mirbat(Maliba), Cengtan, and Somali, as well as Socotra Archipelago. About 1371-1416, Draconis Sanguis prepared from Daemonorops draco was imported into China, and was recorded earlier in The Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores(Ying Ya Sheng Lan) and Code of Great Ming Dynasty(Da Ming Hui Dian). Draconis Sanguis prepared from Dracaena plants was still authentic for a long time after the import of that from D. draco into China. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Dian Zhi(1625), a lost edition of Materia Medica in Southern Yunnan(Dian Nan Ben Cao), Textual Research on Reality and Titles of Plants(Zhi Wu Ming Shi Tu Kao), and other local chronicles recorded that a new type of Draconis Sanguis(Mu Xue Jie) was produced in Yuanjiang, Yunnan province. The New Yunnan Chronicles of the Republic of China recorded the production of another type of Draconis Sanguis(Qi Lin Jie) in Xishuangbanna. However, the authenticity of the above two types has been difficult to confirm. In modern times, Draconis Sanguis prepared from D. draco gradually became the mainstream variety. In the 1970 s, Dracaena cochinchinensi was found in Yunnan and other provinces, and Draconis Sanguis from D. cochinchinensi was developed. This study is expected to provide a solid and reliable literature support for the research and development of Draconis Sanguis, enrich historical materials, and provide new clues for follow-up research.

Splenogonadal fusion: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Splenogondal fusion (SGF) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by abnormal association between the splenic tissue and the gonads or mesonephric remnants. SGF that requires separate two-stage laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephen orchiopexy on both the left and right sides is extremely rare. SGF could be misdiagnosed as testicular malignancy and leads to unnecessary orchiectomy. CASE PRESENTATION: This is a case of an 8-month old male infant presented with bilateral cryptorchidism, B-mode ultrasound visualized the left and right testes in the lower abdominal cavity and the upper margin of the left testicle as a hypoechoic mass extending to the spleen, indicating an undescended right testis and possible SGF on the left side. Single-site laparoscopic examination confirmed the diagnosis of SGF on the left side and an undescended right testis. As both testes were high and the right spermatic vessel was poorly developed and short, a routine single stage orchiopexy would be difficult and risky, therefore, separate two-stage laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephen orchiopexies for both sides were implemented. Stage 1 of the staged Fowler-Stephen orchiopexy for the right side was performed first without treating the left side, Stage 2 for the right side, separation of the left testis from the spleen as well as Stage 1 for the left side were performed 7 months later, and Stage 2 for the left side was performed 7 months after that. Follow-up ultrasound 1 year after the surgery revealed no obvious abnormalities in the shapes of the testes or their blood supply. This treatment strategy prevented unnecessary orchiectomy. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a rare case of SGF that needed separate two-stage laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephen orchiopexies for both sides, and a review of the recent literature. SGF is a rare congenital anomaly often diagnosed incidentally during exploration/surgery for scrotal swelling/mass, cryptorchidism or inguinal hernia in young patients. Surgeons, especially pediatric surgeons should be aware of this rare condition to avoid unnecessary, life-altering radical orchiectomy. When routine single stage orchiopexy is not feasible or risky for either side, separate two-stage laparoscopic staged Fowler-Stephen orchiopexies could be performed on both the left and right sides to avoid unnecessary orchiectomy.

Outcomes of surgery for giant hepatic hemangioma.

BACKGROUND: The surgical indications for liver hemangioma remain unclear. METHODS: Data from 152 patients with hepatic hemangioma who underwent hepatectomy between 2004 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed characteristics including tumor size, surgical parameters, and variables associated with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome and compared the outcomes of laparoscopic and open hepatectomy. Here, we describe surgical techniques for giant hepatic hemangioma and report on two meaningful cases. RESULTS: Most (63.8%) patients with hepatic hemangioma were asymptomatic. Most (86.4%) tumors from patients with Kasabach-Merritt syndrome were larger than 15 cm. Enucleation (30.9%), sectionectomy (28.9%), hemihepatectomy (25.7%), and the removal of more than half of the liver (14.5%) were performed through open (87.5%) and laparoscopic (12.5%) approaches. Laparoscopic hepatectomy is associated with an operative time, estimated blood loss, and major morbidity and mortality rate similar to those of open hepatectomy, but a shorter length of stay. 3D image reconstruction is an alternative for diagnosis and surgical planning for partial hepatectomy. CONCLUSION: The main indication for surgery is giant (> 10 cm) liver hemangioma, with or without symptoms. Laparoscopic hepatectomy was an effective option for hepatic hemangioma treatment. For extremely giant hemangiomas, 3D image reconstruction was indispensable. Hepatectomy should be performed by experienced hepatic surgeons.

Two novel online nomograms for predicting the survival of individual patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for huge hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: A method for predicting prognosis of patients who undergo partial hepatectomy for huge hepatocellular carcinoma (HHCC, diameter ≥10 cm) is currently lacking. This study aimed to establish two online nomograms to predict the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) for patients undergoing resection for HHCC. METHODS: The clinicopathologic characteristics and follow-up information of patients who underwent partial hepatectomy for HHCC at two medical centers were reviewed. Using a training cohort, a Cox model was used to identify the predictors of survival. Two dynamic nomograms for OS and DFS were developed and validated based on the data. RESULTS: Eight and nine independent factors derived from the multivariate analysis of the training cohort were screened and incorporated into the nomograms for OS and DFS, respectively. In the training cohort, the nomogram achieved concordance indices (C-indices) of 0.745 and 0.738 in predicting the OS and DFS, respectively. These results were supported by external validation (C-indices: 0.822 for OS and 0.827 for DFS). Further, the calibration curves of the endpoints showed a favorable agreement between the nomograms' assessments and actual observations. CONCLUSIONS: The two web-based nomograms demonstrated optimal predictive performance for patients undergoing partial hepatectomy for HHCC. This provides a practical method for a personalized prognosis based on an individual's underlying risk factors.

Radiative thermal switch driven by anisotropic black phosphorus plasmons.

Black phosphorus (BP), as a two-dimensional material, has exhibited unique optoelectronic properties due to its anisotropic plasmons. In the present work, we theoretically propose a radiative thermal switch (RTS) composed of BP gratings in the context of near-field radiative heat transfer. The simply mechanical rotation between the gratings enables considerable modulation of radiative heat flux, especially when combined with the use of non-identical parameters, i.e., filling factors and electron densities of BP. Among all the cases including asymmetric BP gratings, symmetric BP gratings, and BP films, we find that the asymmetric BP gratings possess the most excellent switching performance. The optimized switching factors can be as high as 90% with the vacuum separation d=50 nm and higher than 70% even in the far-field regime d=1 µm. The high-performance switching is basically attributed to the rotatable-tunable anisotropic BP plasmons between the asymmetric gratings. Moreover, due to the twisting principle, the RTS can work at a wide range of temperature, which has great advantage over the phase change materials-based RTS. The proposed switching scheme has great significance for the applications in optoelectronic devices and thermal circuits.

Magnetoplasmon-surface phonon polaritons' coupling effects in radiative heat transfer.

In this work, the coupling of magnetoplasmon polaritons (MPP) to surface phonon polaritons (SPhPs) in near-field radiative heat transfer is theoretically investigated. The system is composed of two parallel graphene-coated SiO2 substrates. By applying an external magnetic field, the separated branches of MPPs can couple with SPhPs to form tunable modes. The behavior remolds the energy transport of the system. The relative thermal magnetoresistance ratio can reach values of up to 160% for a magnetic field of 8 T. In addition, the thermal stealthy for the coated graphene is realized by tuning the intensity of fields. This work has substantial importance to graphene-based magneto-optical devices.

Active control of near-field radiative heat transfer by a graphene-gratings coating-twisting method.

In this Letter, active control of near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) between two isotropic materials is realized by a coating-twisting method. The two slabs are coated with graphene gratings, and then the NFRHT can be not only enhanced but also weakened, by tuning the twisted angle between the two gratings. The physical mechanism is attributed to the modes coupled by the graphene gratings and the isotropic material, which can vary with the twisted angle. The proposed method is also applicable for other kinds of anisotropic films and may provide a way to realize high-precision nanoscale thermal management, nimble thermal communications, and thermal switch.

Deep Learning Based on MRI for Differentiation of Low- and High-Grade in Low-Stage Renal Cell Carcinoma.

Pretreatment determination of renal cell carcinoma aggressiveness may help to guide clinical decision-making. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of residual convolutional neural network using routine MRI in differentiating low-grade (grade I-II) from high-grade (grade III-IV) in stage I and II renal cell carcinoma. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: In all, 376 patients with 430 renal cell carcinoma lesions from 2008-2019 in a multicenter cohort were acquired. The 353 Fuhrman-graded renal cell carcinomas were divided into a training, validation, and test set with a 7:2:1 split. The 77 WHO/ISUP graded renal cell carcinomas were used as a separate WHO/ISUP test set. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T and 3.0T/T2 -weighted and T1 contrast-enhanced sequences. ASSESSMENT: The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the final model were assessed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision-recall curve were plotted to measure the performance of the binary classifier. A confusion matrix was drawn to show the true positive, true negative, false positive, and false negative of the model. STATISTICAL TESTS: Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous data and the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical data were used to compare the difference of clinicopathologic characteristics between the low- and high-grade groups. The adjusted Wald method was used to calculate the 95% confidence interval (CI) of accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. RESULTS: The final deep-learning model achieved a test accuracy of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.73-0.96), sensitivity of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.74-0.96), and specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.73-0.96) in the Fuhrman test set and a test accuracy of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.90), sensitivity of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.84-0.97), and specificity of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.68-0.86) in the WHO/ISUP test set. DATA CONCLUSION: Deep learning can noninvasively predict the histological grade of stage I and II renal cell carcinoma using conventional MRI in a multiinstitutional dataset with high accuracy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

Watt-level mid-infrared supercontinuum generation from 2.7 to 4.25 µm in an erbium-doped ZBLAN fiber with high slope efficiency.

A watt-level mid-infrared supercontinuum (MIR-SC) spanning 2.7 to 4.25 µm is generated in an erbium-doped ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF (ZBLAN) fiber amplifier (EDZFA). A broadband fiber-based SC covering 2.2-3.1 µm region is used to seed the amplifier. The generated SC has a maximum output power of 1.75 W with an overall slope efficiency of 20.5%. A normalized root mean square (RMS) in power of 0.5% shows that our system is highly stable. This research, to the best of the authors' knowledge, demonstrates both the record power and the record slope efficiency of in-amplifier MIR-SC generation to date.

All-fiberized, multi-watt 2-5-µm supercontinuum laser source based on fluoroindate fiber with record conversion efficiency.

A strictly all-fiberized, multi-watt 2-5-µm supercontinuum (SC) laser source with high conversion efficiency is presented. A broadband thulium-doped fiber amplifier with spectral coverage of 2-2.7 µm is used to pump a piece of single-mode fluoroindate (InF3) fiber. A fusion-spliced joint with loss down to 0.07 dB is achieved between a piece of silica fiber and the InF3 fiber, which retains all-fiber structure and efficient pump power coupling. A 1.35-W SC with spectral coverage of 1.5-5.2 µm and a 4.06-W SC with spectral coverage of 1.9-5.1 µm are obtained with record conversion efficiencies of 59.5% and 63.3%, respectively. Furthermore, measured output power has a normalized root mean square superior to 0.4%, which indicates the excellent power stability of the system. This research, to the best of the authors' knowledge, demonstrates both record output power and record conversion efficiency of InF3-fiber-based mid-infrared-SC laser sources to date. It is also the first report on strictly all-fiberized SC generation in InF3 fibers.

BiClamp® vessel-sealing device for open hepatic resection of malignant and benign liver tumours: a single-institution experience.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative blood loss during hepatectomy worsens prognosis, and various tools have been used to improve perioperative safety and feasibility. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the feasibility and safety of the BiClamp® device for open liver resection. METHODS: We included 84 patients undergoing liver resection from a single centre, with all patients operated by the same surgical group. All hepatectomies were performed using BiClamp® (Erbe Elektromedizin GmbH, Tubingen, Germany), an electrosurgical device that simultaneously transects liver parenchyma and seals vessels <7 mm in diameter. We collected data on intraoperative blood loss, resection time, and perioperative complications, comparing cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients. RESULTS: The 84 patients enrolled in this study included 56 cirrhotic and 28 non-cirrhotic patients. All patients underwent hepatectomy (30 major and 54 minor hepatectomies) using the BiClamp®, exclusively, and 54 patients required inflow occlusion (Pringle manoeuvre). Overall intraoperative blood loss (mean ± standard deviation) was 523.5 ± 558.6 ml, liver parenchymal transection time was 36.3 ± 16.5 min (range, 13-80 min), and the mean parenchymal transection speed was 3.0 ± 1.9 cm2/min. Twelve patients received perioperative blood transfusion. The cost of BiClamp® for each patient was 800 RMB (approximately 109€). There were no deaths, and the morbidity rate was 25%. The mean (standard deviation) hospital stay was 9.3 (2.3) days. Comparisons between cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients revealed no difference in blood loss (491.0 ± 535.7 ml vs 588.8 ± 617.5 ml, P = 0.598), liver parenchymal transection time (34.1 ± 14.8 min vs 40.9 ± 19.2 min, P = 0.208), mean parenchymal transection speed (3.3 ± 2.1 cm2/min vs 2.5 ± 1.3 cm2/min, P = 0.217), and operative morbidity (28.6% vs 14.3%, P = 0.147). CONCLUSIONS: The reusable BiClamp® vessel-sealing device allows for safe and feasible major and minor hepatectomy, even in patients with cirrhotic liver. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was retrospectively registered and the detail information was as followed. Registration number: ChiCTR-ORC-17011873 (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). Registration Date: 2017-07-05.

Effects of Water Molecule on CO Oxidation by OH: Reaction Pathways, Kinetic Barriers, and Rate Constants.

The water dilute oxy-fuel combustion is a clean combustion technology for near-zero emission power; and the presence of water molecule could have both kinetic and dynamic effects on combustion reactions. The reaction OH + CO → CO2 + H, one of the most important elementary reactions, has been investigated by extensive electronic structure calculations. And the effects of a single water molecule on CO oxidation have been studied by considering the preformed OH(H2O) complex reacts with CO. The results show little change in the reaction pathways, but the additional water molecule actually increases the vibrationally adiabatic energy barriers (VaG). Further thermal rate constant calculations in the temperature range of 200 to 2000 K demonstrate that the total low-pressure limit rate constant for the water assisted OH(H2O) + CO → CO2 + H2O + H reaction is 1-2 orders lower than that of the water unassisted one, which is consistent with the change of VaG. Therefore, the hydrated radical OH(H2O) would actually slow down the oxidation of CO. Meanwhile, comparisons show that the M06-2X/aug-cc-pVDZ method gives a much better estimation in energy and thus is recommended to be employed for direct dynamics simulations.

Using a Commonly Down-Regulated Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Promoter for High-Level Expression of Ectopic Gene in a Human B Lymphoma Cell Line.

BACKGROUND Vectors are widely used to drive gene expression using a promoter. However, not all promoters are able to drive ectopic gene expression efficiently, including CMV promoter. Here, we report our data using CMV promoter for high-level gene expression in a B lymphoma cell line DG75. MATERIAL AND METHODS A plasmid (pcDNA3.1(+)) containing the CD21 gene driven under CMV promoter was constructed. The plasmid was stably transfected into a human B lymphoma cell line DG75 for cellular surface CD21 expression, and flow cytometry was used to monitor CD21 expression. CD21+ cells in the stable cell line were purified using anti-CD21 antibody-coupled Dynabeads for CD21-mediated antigen presentation experiment. RESULTS The percentage of CD21+ cells in newly generated stable DG75-pcDNA3.1(+)-CD21 cells was only 6.5% as determined by flow cytometry, which was unexpected and did not fit the requirements for further experiments. However, CD21+ cells could be purified to 100% using anti-CD21 antibody-coupled beads. The percentage of CD21+ cells in purified cells can be kept at 95%, 82%, 42%, 15%, and 42% at 7 d, 14 d, 34 d, and 42 d after purification, respectively. Specific T cell response against CD21-mediated antigen presentation can be activated successfully only when surface CD21 expression remains high. CONCLUSIONS A commonly down-regulated CMV promoter can be used to drive ectopic gene expression at a high-level in stable cell lines. Our results should facilitate future experimental design using other down-regulated promoters containing vectors such as SV40 and PGK1.

Water transparency distribution under varied currents in the largest river-connected lake of China.

Water transparency is an important ecological indicator for shallow lakes. The largest shallow lake, Poyang Lake, as well as the most typical river-connected lake in China was selected as the research area. In view of the complicated water-sediment conditions induced by its frequent water exchange with external rivers, the dominant factors driving water transparency were determined against the field investigated data from 2003 to 2013 and a specific driving function was established. A numerical model coupling suspended sediment, Chl-a and chemical oxygen demand was developed and validated, and the spatial water transparency distributions under three typical current structures in Poyang Lake, Gravity-style, Jacking-style and Backflow-style, were quantitatively estimated. The following results stood out: water transparency in the lake varied distinctly with the current status; Backflow-style current was basically characterized by the lowest water transparency, while that under Jacking-style was the highest due to the lower sediment carrying capacity. In some outlying regions in the lake, where the water current is hardly influenced by the mainstream, the water transparency was always kept at a stable level.